


Midnight

by edgarallenhoe



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cinderella Elements, Dragon Age - Freeform, Dragon Age AU, Dragon Age: Inquisition - Freeform, Engagement, F/M, Fluff, True Love, i just want my children to be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-24 07:23:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4910383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edgarallenhoe/pseuds/edgarallenhoe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ellana Lavellan's clan is forced to kick her out, she finds herself in the care of kind, wealthy man. She lives happily with him for a time, but he eventually dies, leaving her with only his wretched wife and daughters. Finding herself more of a slave than anything, all she wants is a night off at the upcoming ball. Her "caretakers" leave her, but a mysterious woman comes along offering things that Ellana can't pass up.</p><p>Cullen Rutherford doesn't even want to go to the ball. He hates sucking up to nobility, and wonders why he even has to attend. When he meets the woman of his dreams, however, he is suddenly very interested in all the happenings of the evening. When she hurriedly runs away at midnight, though, how will Cullen find this woman again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lost

Ellana Lavellan was a mage. Now, earlier in history that might’ve raised a few eyebrows, but humans nowadays were a lot more tolerant of magic. As long as a mage was trained properly they were allowed to do as they pleased. You could live at home, practice your craft, become an enchanter, or not. Blood magic was frowned upon, but with the increased freedom mages had, the less they felt they had to resort to it as a means to some end. The choice was up to them. Well, for everyone but the Dalish. They still had the two-mage rule: one Keeper and one First per clan. They were surprisingly traditional in this regard. So when Ellana’s magic started developing, her parents helped her hide it from her clan. 

When she was sixteen, right after she had undergone the blood-writing, or vallaslin, ritual, her parents died. They perished while hunting; they had spotted a deer but a pack of wolves spotted them. Normally, they would’ve been able to fend them off, but there were far too many and they were overwhelmed. While members of her clan searched their tent for keepsakes and mementos, they found the staff her mother had carved for her. She had meant to give it to her when she came of age, but never got the chance. The staff was beautiful, carved out of strong oak and ornamented with feathers and a large, curved antler. She had no way to explain the staff other than to tell her clan the truth. Even though she was of age now, they still had to let her go.

They were kind enough to leave her in a nearby village and not just abandon her in the woods, but she was still alone and afraid, with no idea what to do or where to go. She slept in barns and alleys and ate crusts of bread usually left for dogs. She wasn’t that skilled of a mage, having only self-taught herself basic spells, so the most she could rely on her magic for were small conjured flames to warm her hands at night. It seemed like this might be her life now, as nomadic as she had been before but on her own this time. Until one fateful day, a nobleman took pity on her.

She was basically lying in a gutter, hair a tangled black mass and face grimy with dust and mud, when he found her. He had been wandering, trying to find a gift for his wife, when he stumbled upon her. Most times, her large, clearly-elven ears and tattooed face scared people away; there was a stigma against elves, especially Dalish ones. This didn’t scare off the nobleman, though. In fact, it seemed to spur him on. He instantly took pity her and approached her.

“Excuse me, my lady, are you alright?” he asked as he knelt a foot away from her. Ellana shot up into a sitting position, having been startled at the man’s quiet approach. She was even more shocked when she got a better look at him; he was kneeling in the dust next to her in a finely-tailored outfit. The shirt looked like silk to her untrained eye, and his pants were trimmed with gold. And here he was getting them dirty!

“I’m fine,” she croaked. Her voice was thick and cracked with disuse. Her words made the nobleman frown, the creases in his forehead deepening as he took stock of her.

“You don’t look fine,” he assessed, “Might I ask your name?”

“It’s… Ellana Lavellan, ser.” She was hesitant to trust this man, but she figured there was no point in lying. He already knew she was Dalish, so lying about her name was worthless.

“What a lovely name, Lady Lavellan. You may call me Phillip Bardon,” he said, smiling a bit sadly, “Tell me, do you have a home?”

She thought this was a very forward thing to ask, but Bardon didn’t seem to be the type to beat around the bush, so she responded: “No sir.”

“Well, if you would like, you are welcome to find your home with me. I have two daughters just your age. You will live on the streets no longer.” He held out a hand to her. Ellana was torn. She wanted to go with this man, to trust him and all that he said. There was some part of her, though, that told her this was a trap. Nobles kept elves as pets and playthings. She would most likely be no more than a toy to these people. The earnest look in Bardon’s eyes, though, made her tentatively slip her hand into his. He beamed and pulled her up from her place on the ground. He led her through the streets in a blur, and moments later they were in front of his estate. And so she came to live with Phillip Bardon, his wife, and his two daughters.

She would learn later that Bardon was an extremely wealthy businessman, and that he and his wife had married for money and not love. That didn’t stop Bardon from trying to find ways to woo his wife; he had simply believed that they would fall in love later in their arranged marriage, but was horribly mistaken. His wife, Marielle, was a cruel woman. Their daughters, Elisa and Caroline, were not much better. The pair were twins, and when Ellana came to live in the Bardon estate they had just had their fourteenth name-day party. They took after their mother in all respects, from their rich brown hair to the almost-permanent scowls on their faces. Their tempers had all gotten shorter with age, but Phillip was extremely kind and patient, and he took their concerns very seriously. The only time their protests fell on deaf ears was when he brought home the ragged little elf girl, covered in muck and the tell-tale signs of a foreign culture.

Phillip treated her like his own child; in fact, he treated her almost better than Elisa and Caroline. He was very gentle with her, letting her have all the time she needed to get accustomed to her new home. When he went away on business, he would bring her home trinkets and books from the far-away places. He called her things like “pup” and “pet,” but they were (very Ferelden) terms of endearment and not the mockery she had once believed they would be. Her new sisters and mother typically left her alone, but they were very obviously jealous of all the attention Ellana received.

After a few years of living with them, she began to think of Phillip as her father. He treated her well, he took care of her as if she was his own, he got her a mage tutor to help her control her magic better, and all out of the goodness of his heart! Ellana hadn’t been used to such kindness from humans before this, and she would never fully understand Phillip’s intent in bringing her here. Perhaps he had been lonely and needed a companion. Perhaps he simply did feel sorry for her. Or perhaps Ellana’s gods had truly answered her prayers and sent her a savior. She did not question it so much until after he passed away.


	2. Eavesdropper

Almost six years to the day since she had come to live with the Bardons did Phillip get sick. He was terribly ill, and they sent for healers, physicians, and even some Dalish elves (not of her clan) that they believed knew some sort of magic that others would not. Nothing helped him. He wasted away slowly, until one day he just didn’t wake up.

“Maker bless you Ellana, I am so glad to have met you,” were the words he said to her every night before he went to sleep. He told her that he said it just in case he should die in the night, and lo and behold he had. Ellana wept at his bedside for hours. She pleaded and begged with his lifeless body for his soul to return, but it was far too late. He was gone. Ellana had lost her second father.

When she finally emerged, and Phillip’s body was taken away, her stepmother and stepsisters (she would never think of them as her true family) were waiting for her. Marielle had a horrid, wicked grin on her face, but her sisters looked rightly upset. Their father had just died after all. Marielle had never loved him, though, not really, and now that he was gone, she inherited his entire estate and all his assets. That meant that Ellana was now her’s to command as she pleased. Ellana couldn’t care less at the moment, someone she loved had passed. I will deal with Marielle tomorrow, she thought.

Marielle, however, was not going to let her slip by. She grabbed her arm as she tried to walk by and yanked Ellana right in front of her.

“Phillip is dead because of you, you wretched girl,” Marielle spat into Ellana’s face. Ellana was terribly confused by her words; she had played no part in her father’s death. She was the most heartbroken one here!

“I don’t know what you mean, Marielle,” she spoke in her soft, lilting voice, although it wavered with tears that threatened to spill.

“Don’t play dumb, girl. You’re the reason he got sick. You’re the cause of all this family’s troubles!” Marielle was violently shaking her now.

“Stop that!” Ellana shrieked, smacking her stepmother’s hands away and backing up. Marielle wasn’t too happy about that, though. She moved forward and clutched Ellana’s arm as tightly as she could and dragged her down the stairs. She didn’t stop pulling until they reached the cellar.

“This is where you’ll sleep from now on, girl! Phillip may have fallen for your doe-eyed, innocent child act, but you’re not a child anymore! And you’re certainly no daughter to me!” With that, Marielle slammed and locked the door behind her. And so began Ellana’s isolation.

She spent weeks in the cellars. Her only contact was with the servants who brought her food. Sometimes, they would take pity and sneak a little something extra in with them, like a book or some extra bread. Wards had been set up so that her magic wouldn’t work. There was nothing she could do. Her clothes became ragged, and she was covered in ash because the only warm place to sleep was right next to the fireplace. Why are they imprisoning me? What have I done to deserve this? These thoughts raced through Ellana’s head as she lay in the cold, dark basement.

She sat down there for Creators only know how long, perhaps two weeks or a moth, until one day, one blessed day, Marielle came downstairs. She had decided that Ellana would work if she were to stay in this house, so she gave her a mountain of chores to do during the day, but would lock her up again at night. She was allowed a wash basin, a cot, and a few other sets of clothing, but nothing else. Luckily, she still had the stash of books the servants had snuck down to her, so living in the cellar was not so unbearable anymore.

She never tried to run away. They feed me, she thought, and I have somewhere warm to sleep at night. Where would she run to if she were to leave, anyways? She had already proven to herself that she was hopeless at living on the streets. With the way she had been living these past few years, she would be lucky to survive a week without the comforts of a home.

Life settled into a routine eventually. She would wake up before dawn, eat a bowl of thick, gray porridge, and start her chores. More often than not, it would just be sweeping, dusting, and cleaning every inch of the home. She would learn that Marielle had actually fired most of the servants after her husband died; why pay for work when you can have it done for free? Sometimes, Ellana would get to do the laundry, which was her favorite chore because it meant she could go outside.

When she went to hang the wash, she took as long as she could without it seeming too suspicious. She would stare wistfully over the short garden wall and dream of being on the other side of it. She reveled in the few moments she got to spend in the sunlight. It was her only real happiness in life anymore. More often than not, she would use this time to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations. This was how she learned of the upcoming ball.

She heard the approaching noises of a few horses and turned her head just enough to hear the full force of what the people riding the horses were saying to each other. Her elf ears meant that her hearing was far better than a human’s, so she picked full conversations rather than just snippets.

“Yes, darling, there is to be a ball in a week’s time to find an eligible young woman for Prince Cailan to wed.”

“A ball? How archaic, as if women must be paraded around like prized cattle for the sake of men!”

“While I agree with you, love, I must say that it would be a wonderful event to attend. It’s said that some of the Orlesian nobility are bringing a troupe of acrobats with them! And the Antivans are always sure to impress.”

“You’re quite right, Darren. Very well, let Namara know to prepare for the ball. And she will have to come with us, I suppose.”

“She makes us look wealthier, darling. Nothing shows status like elven servants.”

Ellana was overjoyed with this news. Perhaps this was an opportunity to finally leave the house for once. If she could convince Marielle to take her to the ball - as her servant - then maybe she could finally pretend for one night that the situation she was living in wasn’t a complete nightmare. As she hung the last of the laundry, she hummed a bit of a tune and turned to go inside.

She couldn’t hide her excitement when she finally found Marielle upstairs sitting in front of her mirror. The mirror was a big, gold ornate thing, surrounded by beautiful painted flowers and birds. Ellana used to look into it, but all she would see was a girl that didn’t belong. It was almost painful to look at now, but she wouldn’t let it dampen her spirits.

“Mistress Marielle, may I have permission to ask you a question?”

“You just did, girl,” Marielle scoffed, arching one eyebrow and turning to look at her, “Make it quick.”

“Well, I do not know if you have heard of the upcoming ball at the castle,” Ellana began, but Marielle interrupted her with a single, cold laugh.

“Do not even think of asking me to go! Why, in all of Thedas, would I ever take you to a ball? Just look at you, you’re an embarrassment to this family.” The words stung, but Ellana pressed on.

“Please, I was only asking to go with you as a servant. It would show the other nobility how wealthy you are to have a servant, and a Dalish one at that!” Ellana was practically pleading, she could feel her dignity begin to slip away. Marielle didn’t laugh at her again, though. She looked as though she was deep in thought.

“You know, girl, you may be onto something.” Ellana’s heart leapt in her chest. This is it! I’m going to the ball, she thought. “Very well, I shall think about taking you. But only if you complete all your chores that day! And I will personally inspect the job you have done.”

“Thank you so much, Mistress. You are too kind,” Ellana choked out, bowing her head quickly and leaving the room at the wave of Marielle’s hand. She couldn’t even breathe properly until she made it to her bed. Her head was spinning. She would finally get to leave!


	3. Preparations

The day of the ball approached much sooner than she had anticipated. She couldn’t even sleep the night before, so excited was she to finally be leaving the estate. The day of the ball, she fully threw herself into her tasks for the day. She made sure everything was spotless within the house, every bannister scrubbed and shined, every shelf dusted, and every crumb swept off the floor. When the clock struck five in the parlor, she was instructed to go upstairs and help her stepsisters with their gowns.

She helped them step into the dresses and laced them up. Ellana wondered what she would be wearing to the ball. It wouldn’t be anything too fancy, surely, as they wouldn’t want to detract from the nobles. She carefully curled Elisa’s hair with a rod heated by magic, and then helped Caroline fasten her necklace. All the while the other two girls teased her vehemently and tugged on her ears. She had hoped they would have grown out of this practice, but apparently Ellana becoming their servant only spurred them on.

When she was finally done, she heard Marielle call to the other girls from downstairs. They rushed out, giggling amongst themselves. Ellana slowly made her way out after them, making sure everything was back in its place before heading down the stairs. What she saw when she reached the bottom, though, almost made her retch.

The curtains had been torn from the rods. Someone had thrown lentils all over the couches and chairs. The ashes from one of the fireplaces lay right in the middle of the carpet. The bookshelves were a disaster; most of the books had been pulled from them and lay in a heap on the floor. Ellana wanted to scream.

“Ellana, I told you to clean this place! I wanted it spotless before we left! Stupid girl!” Marielle shrieked and slapped her. Ellana had never felt more hatred for her stepmother than at this moment. She realized that Marielle had never intended to let her go to the ball. Her hatred ran so deep that she wouldn’t even allow Ellana one simple kindness.

“I want this cleaned by the time we come back tonight,” Marielle said. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the house, followed by her giggling daughters. Ellana didn’t call after them or storm down to her room. In fact, she didn’t do anything; she just sunk to the floor in a stunned silence. After a few minutes, her shock subsided and she sighed. She supposed she should start cleaning.

Not so far away, the commander of the Ferelden’s armies was getting ready for the ball. Cullen Rutherford was not a fan of parties, especially not of this variety. He hated schmoozing nobles and much prefered direct actions to words and favors. He had just finished tidying his hair and was fastening the gold buttons on his cream-colored jacket when he heard a knock on his door.

“Just a moment,” he called, but the person on the other side of the door didn’t seem to want to wait a moment. They just came right in. “Alistair, what have I told you about barging into my room!?”

“Ugh, Cullen, don’t be so uptight,” the young prince said as he threw himself onto Cullen’s bed. He was finely dressed in a well-tailored black doublet, a white collared shirt underneath, and black formal pants. “You know I wouldn’t come in if you were, say, naked.”

“How would you know?” Cullen scoffed, annoyed at Alistair’s attitude. The two were actually very close friends, but the evening’s events made Cullen a lot more wound-up than usual.

“Ahh come on, you know I don’t meaning anything by it,” Alistair chuckled.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready, my prince?” Cullen said a bit sarcastically as he finished buttoning his jacket.

“Ughhhhh, Cullen, don’t be so formal,” Alistair groaned as he lay back on the bed, “And anyways, I’m the spare, there’s no reason for me to be any more ready than this tonight.”

“Are you sure about that? I heard Lady Solona Amell was going to be here.”

That got Alistair’s attention. He shot up and stared, wide-eyed, at his now-grinning friend. He instantly started smoothing down his messy brown hair. He had been infatuated with the enchantress ever since she had come to court one day to showcase her talents for the nobility. Alistair had been quite taken with her ever since, and Cullen could certainly see the appeal. She was lovely, with porcelain skin and almost-white blond hair. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, and she was quite soft-spoken. Alistair seemed particularly enthralled with her legs; she had plump thighs and wide hips, and he hadn’t seemed to be able to stop staring at them when she wasn’t looking. She seemed so gentle and shy, and Alistair was the nervous, awkward prince of a kingdom, so he hadn’t approached her then. Perhaps tonight would be the night, Cullen hoped.

“Hey, who knows? Maybe you’ll meet someone tonight,” Alistair turned the conversation to Cullen to get the blush off of his face.

“Me? Meet a woman?” Cullen suddenly started laughing and couldn’t stop. Alistair grimaced at the commander. “Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? I wouldn’t even know where to begin or… Or how to go about it.”

“Go about what?”

“Well, talking to her for starter’s.”

“Just don’t say something stupid, and you’ll be fine,” Alistair laughed. The pair shared a chuckle before hearing the six o’clock bell sound.

“We’d better get down there,” Cullen sighed. He and Alistair reluctantly made their way down the stairs into the grand hall, where the ball was taking place. Wealthy people and noblemen and women were flooding into the hall as they took their places beside the other prince and King Maric. Cullen took a deep breath to steel himself. This was going to be a long night.

Back at the Bardon estate, Ellana had finished sweeping the ashes and the lentils, and she had put all the books away and in order. All that was left was to replace the curtains. She hadn’t let herself cry just yet, but when she went downstairs to retrieve the ladder she couldn’t stop herself. She hiccupped and sobbed as she set up the ladder in the parlor. She began to climb up it, but missed a step because of her blurred vision. She fell backwards, and closed her eyes before hitting the ground. Instead of the ground, however, she landed in someone’s arms.

Alarmed, she opened her eyes to see a tall, beautiful young woman holding her in her arms. She had raven-colored hair and golden eyes, and, Ellana noted, she wasn’t wearing much.

“Who are you?” Ellana cried, “Unhand me!”

“Relax, you will not come to harm,” the mysterious woman said while setting her gently down on the floor. With a flick of her hand, the curtain was back on its rod and the ladder was on its way back to the basement.

“Who are you?” Ellana repeated. She backed up a bit from the woman who had saved her life.

“You may call me Morrigan, if you must. I am a witch of the wilds,” Morrigan said softly, gazing down at the elf.

“Why are you in my house?”

“‘Tis not your house. But I am here because you need me.”

“I need you?” Ellana was terribly confused. Had she hit her head and died? Was this the afterlife?

“Yes. You see, I have watched you for a time, as a bird, as a cat, even as a mouse. The woman who lives here, who owns you, is unbearably cruel; ‘twas not even this bad with my mother. I have taken pity on you, and you will be grateful for it.” Ellana wasn’t so sure about any of this, but trusting strangers seemed to have worked out well for her in the past. Besides, what did she have to lose?

“All right, what are you going to do?” Ellana lifted her chin and stared determinedly into Morrigan’s golden eyes. The witch flicked her hand once. Morrigan gave her a once-over, and apparently, deciding it wasn’t enough, she flicked her hand once more. Ellana’s vision blurred completely out of focus and her ears rung, but after about five seconds of this it was over.

“What did you do?” Ellana asked, groaning.

“See for yourself,” Morrigan murmured, handing her a golden hand mirror. Ellana grasped it and looked. What she saw almost made her drop the mirror.

Her long dark hair was braided along the sides of her head until it all met in the back to form a neat bun. Her rags were now a beautiful powder-blue, satiny dress. The color of it almost matched her eyes. It had lovely gold trim and seemed to glimmer whenever the light hit it. Her shoes were blue satin, as well, with a small delicate heel on each. Her face bore the most striking change, however: her vallaslin were gone and her ears were no longer large and pointed. Her markings, which had signified her affinity for June, the god of the craft, were gone from her face. She felt like she was missing a part of herself. Morrigan seemed to sense this.

“Do not worry, all the magic will wear off at midnight. 'Tis not permanent. You will blend in better as a human, and your wicked mistress will not know you.”

“Thank you, Morrigan. I do not know what to say. How can I ever repay you?” Ellana said. She would never forget this kindness, no matter how long she lived.

“Do not trouble yourself with it. I doubt we will ever meet again.” And with that, Morrigan turned into a bird and flew away. Ellana couldn’t believe what had just happened, but quickly shook herself out of her reverie to look at the clock. It was already almost seven o’clock, she would have to run to make it to the ball in time!

Finding the door unlocked, she raced out of the house and down the garden path, praying to her gods that she would make it in time. Thankfully, she would not have to run all the way there. Morrigan had left her a horse (she assumed, otherwise a horse just wandered over to their house and sat outside the gate). She mounted the horse, sitting side-saddle of course, as she couldn’t get both her legs around it in the dress she was wearing. She felt a bit ridiculous not being able to spur the horse on with both of her feet, but the horse was still moving faster than the pace at which she could run. Eventually, she found herself behind a carriage and followed it up to the gates of the palace.

She dismounted the horse as soon as got near enough and snuck in by walking as close to the carriage as she could and hoping no guards spotted her. She made it to the steps and quickly integrated with some other guests. Sooner than she had expected, she was in the grand hall.


	4. The Ball

The sight of the grand hall took Ellana’s breath away. She had expected it to be beautiful, but this surpassed everything in her wildest dreams. The marble pillars, the beautiful swirling designs in the tiles on the floor, the golden chandeliers that hung from the ceiling… it was almost too much for her. She almost wept upon entry into this magnificent hall. She carefully made her way down the stairs, having not been terribly accustomed to walking in heels. Ellana drank in everything she saw; she saw the loveliest gowns and the most elaborate hairstyles. She found an area where they were serving food and she picked up a flute of champagne. She took a rather indelicate whiff before taking a sip. It didn’t taste terrible, she decided. She tried many different kinds of cheeses and a ham from the Anderfels that tasted terribly sad (she couldn’t explain why it was sad, it just was).

Before long, she was drawn to the music and splendor of the dancefloor. She joined the throng of people watching the men and women twirl and spin in the center of the room. Phillip had tried to teach her some of these dances a long time ago, but she had never really been too receptive of the dance lessons. Suddenly, the song ended and everyone began clapping. A bit startled, she joined in.

She had every intention of watching the next dance when it started, but she quickly found herself in the middle of it! Everyone in this part of the grand hall seemed to have found a partner and taken up the dance. Everyone except for her, that is. She was trapped, trying to dodge woman skirts and men’s arms as they turned every which way. She had almost made it to the edge of the dance floor when she tripped and fell backward for the second time that day.

Again, she closed her eyes and braced herself to hit the floor, but the impact was much gentler. She realized that, again, she had fallen straight into someone’s arms. These arms, however, were much more solid and muscular than Morrigan’s had been. 

“Are you alright?” A throaty, masculine voice asked her. Oh Creators, he sounds handsome, was all Ellana could think. Tentatively, she opened her eyes. Creators, he is handsome! The man in front of her had wavy straw-colored hair and rich brown eyes. His face was well-sculpted; he could have been the painting of some old god or a warrior prince from long ago. There was a small scar on the right side of his mouth, and by the gods if she didn’t just want to press her lips to it and-

He was staring at her oddly. Waiting for me to respond! she realized.

“Thank you, I’m very, um, I’m fine.” She stumbled over her words like a child. The man just smiled gently at her and set her upright.

“I am sorry if I startled you. I am Commander Cullen Rutherford,” he said, bowing low before her.

“You did not startle me, I was more terrified of the ground,” she giggled, “I am Ellana Lavellan.”

She hadn’t meant to tell anyone her name, but something in her wanted this man to know her for who she truly was.

“Lavellan? Are you in any way related to… Well, you’re not an elf. Sorry, there’s a Clan Lavellan somewhere to the south, but they’re Dalish elves and you’re clearly human, and I’m rambling, sorry,” he said a bit breathlessly.

“That’s quite all right. I am not offended,” Ellana said. She just hoped the magic would actually hold until midnight. 

“Before I say anything else that stupid, would you care to dance?” The song had just ended, and the crowd was clapping again. Cullen held out a tentative hand. Ellana bit her lip, but decided rather quickly that if she was going to be at the ball then she was going to have the full experience. She grabbed Cullen’s with a bit more enthusiasm than was probably necessary, and then pulled him, laughing, toward the dancefloor. Neither were very good dancers, and they probably looked rather foolish forgetting the steps. Eventually, he just ended up doing whatever dances they did know and laughing at each others’ poor footing.

They danced for six songs, until they decided, breathlessly, to take a break. They found an unoccupied balcony and leaned on the railing.

“So, tell me about yourself Commander,” Ellana said, grinning and fanning herself with her left hand. Her back was pressed against the railing, and she had to look to her right as Cullen had positioned himself there with his elbows resting along the balcony.

“Let’s see… My name is Cullen Stanton Rutherford. I have two sisters and a brother, Mia, Rosalie, and Branson. I’m 32 years old. I’m not sure what else there is to tell.” He looked a bit shy talking about his life like this to a woman he had just meant. He saw something in her, though, that made him feel comfortable, like he was safe from harm in her presence. He looked up at her after he said this and was almost struck dumb by the way she looked. In the pale moonlight, he could see the smattering of freckles on her cheeks and nose. Her pale blue eyes shone with such curiosity and intensity that he felt like she was really listening and that she really cared. And her lips, Maker’s breath her lips. They were pink and plump and looked so inviting. He tried to focus on her words as her lips began to move.

“What do you like to do in your spare time? Do you even have spare time, being the commander of the armies of Ferelden? What’s your favorite thing to eat or to drink? What about friends? Lovers?” He blanched as she said that last part, and she quickly turned away, blushing. She hadn’t meant to let that slip out.

“Well,” he coughed, “I like swordplay. I suppose it’s something I’m particularly good at. I’m also quite good at chess. I used to play with my siblings when we were younger, and eventually I practiced hard enough with my brother to beat my sister Mia. Should’ve seen the look on her face when I finally won… As for the rest, I like a good, hearty lamb stew.”

“Must be a Ferelden thing,” Ellana murmured. Cullen chuckled at that.

“Um… friends? I have acquaintances within the palace and a few close friends. In fact, I count Prince Alistair among them.”

“And..?” Ellana asked. She couldn’t believe she was prodding him, but she was truly curious.

“... And there is no one romantically in my life right now.” Ellana noticed him turn a bit pink at that, and he moved to rub his neck. “What about you?”

“I’m Ellana Lavellan. I was adopted by a wonderful man when I was sixteen years old. His name was Phillip, but eventually I just called him ‘father.’ Unfortunately, he died not even a year ago and now I am stuck with his horrid wife and her daughters.”

“I am sorry to hear that. He sounds like good man.” Cullen felt horrible for her. To be adopted only to have her adoptive father die sounded absolutely terrible.

“He was. He always will be to me.” She bit her lip and continued. “As for what I like to do in my spare time, I love reading. I truly do. And running. I can’t get enough of the feel of the grass beneath my bare feet and the sun shining above me. I love to eat venison, but not in a stew. Urgh, stew is too hearty for my taste. I have one friend, and I had many more before I was… adopted.” Morrigan was the one person she counted as a friend in this world, and she had been in her life for all of five minutes. She continued, “And I have no romantic attachments. Yet.”

This bold declaration had them both turn a bit red.

“I have never known a woman to be so bold as you. Or so strange. You love to run and your hands are calloused like you do hard labor, yet you are a noblewoman.” Cullen turned to face her.

“Well, I suppose it’s because I’m not a noblewoman. I…” Ellana grimaced. She wanted to tell Cullen the truth.

“What do you mean?” he asked, raising one of his perfect eyebrows. Ellana couldn’t face him while she said this. She took a deep breath.

“Cullen, I know we’ve only just met, but I, I feel like I’ve known you for a long, long time. I want to be… I want to be honest with you,” she mumbled. She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned against the rail, unsure of how to continue. Suddenly, Cullen’s hands were in her’s. 

“Ellana, I feel the same way. I may not be the greatest at expressing things like this, but I have come to… care for you. More than I would have thought considering we’ve only known each other for two hours.” He pulled her away from the railing and looked down into her eyes. Her breathing became a bit ragged at the proximity. “You can tell me anything.”

“The truth is, I’m not who I say I am. I mean I am, but I’m not. This isn’t making sense,” she huffed. Cullen was rubbing his thumb across a freckle on her left hand between her thumb and forefinger. He was looking at her intently, silently willing her to go on.

“The truth… The truth is,” she finally began more confidently, but she was quickly interrupted by the clocktower. “Cullen, what time is it?”

“I believe it’s midnight, why?” he asked curiously. She yanked her hands out his and started to back away.

“I have to go. I have to go right now!” Ellana cried. She could feel the magic wearing off on her ears and assumed her tattoos were starting to show again, as well. “I’m terribly sorry, Cullen! I enjoyed our time together. I truly did.”

“Wait, where are you going? Why do you have to leave?” he called after her, but it was too late. She was almost sprinting across the hall. The clock struck for the seventh time as she raced up the indoor steps out of the palace. Eight. She was at the top of the stairs. Nine. She could hear Cullen yelling for her to stop as she raced down the outdoor steps. Ten. She was sprinting off the grounds, past guards and partygoers alike. Eleven. She was past the gate and halfway down the road. Twelve. She was gone, out of sight. Cullen was heartbroken when he reached the palace gates and he could no longer see her. Well, she had said she loved running.

Ellana made it back to the estate in record time. She couldn’t believe how lucky she had been to not run into her stepmother and stepsisters. She trudged into the house, taking off her shoes and making sure that she didn’t track mud in with her. She made her way upstairs to look at herself in Marielle’s mirror. Sure enough, she was back to herself again. Her hair was still up, but her dress was back to normal, her shoes were gone, her vallaslin was back on her face, and her ears were pointy again.

It was then that she started thinking about what had just happened. She had met a man, danced with him, got to know him as a person. She had fallen in love with him, yet she had only known him for a few hours. She began to cry in front of the ornate mirror. Now, all it reminded her of was something she could not have.


	5. Found

Back at the palace, Cullen was severely distraught. So much so that the king asked Alistair to seek him out. 

“What’s wrong?” Alistair asked when they were alone together. Cullen looked frenzied and also a bit confused.

“I met a woman,” was all he said to begin with.

“You? You met a woman? Maker, I just grew the balls to ask Solona to dance with me, but you met a woman?” Alistair asked incredulously.

“Yes. She was funny and spontaneous and a bit strange. We danced for an hour or so, and then we talked. She was lovely. But now she’s gone. She ran off, no explanation, no anything really. She said she enjoyed our time together.” 

“Well go after her, you daft tit!” Alistair smacked his friend upside the head.

“Ouch! Clearly she didn’t want to be chased if she ran so fast and so far.” Cullen rubbed where Alistair had slapped him.

“Or she does. Maybe there’s a spell on her, like in all those tales we would read as children. Or maybe she’s secretly a troll everyday at exactly midnight and turns back into a human at daybreak. Maybe all she needs is true love’s kiss to break the spell!” This was the romantic in Alistair talking. Cullen didn’t believe a word of what he was saying, but understood the main theme.

“You are right, I think. Perhaps I should go after her.”

“There’s the man I know! Now go get her!” Alistair clapped his friend on the back, and Cullen strode from the room with new purpose. He would have to ask around the neighboring villages. He would begin in the morning, but first he had to gather supplies. This might prove to be a long journey.

Ellana was in a daze for a week after the ball. Marielle, Caroline, and Elisa had all come home terribly disappointed that Cailan had chosen a young woman named Anora Mac Tir to be his bride. Ellana couldn’t even muster the energy to be gleeful that their hopes had been dashed. She wandered around in this haze until Sunday, laundry day. When she stepped into the cool, crisp air she felt refreshed. The outdoors rejuvenated her and made her feel a bit more whole again. She started hanging the laundry and listening the sounds coming from the road. She heard a horse whinney and heard the sounds of a conversation between a small group of people. Nothing interesting today.

As it was, Cullen was just down the road. He had stopped outside a blacksmith’s to ask if they knew anyone by the name of Ellana Lavellan. The smith, a big burly man with a thick, black beard didn’t seem to have any information.

“Thom, you’re daft. There’s a woman named Ellana that leaves just down the road, yeah? In that big posh house down at the end there. Don’t think she’s the owner, though, not with her… Ya know?” A small, blonde elven woman chimed in after appearing from thin air. She gestured to her face and her ears. Cullen was a bit confused but thanked them and started to go on his way.

“Wait a minute, info like that don’t come cheap. You owe me, soldier,” the elven woman growled.

“Sera, leave the man alone. He must be on important business,” Thom piped up from the back. He didn’t even look up from his work.

“Ugh! You never let me play Thom! Friggin’ arsehole,” she mumbled. Cullen fished out a sack of coin and held it in front of the woman. Her eyes lit up and she snatched it. She ran off, skipping and giggling to herself.

Cullen shook his head and started down the road. The house at the end of the road was where she’d be, they’d said. It was a huge estate, the family was obviously wealthy. As he got closer, he noticed someone hanging sheets and linens in the garden. His heartbeat sped up as he got closer to the house.

“Excuse me,” he called out. The woman hanging the laundry froze. All he could see of her were her calves and feet, as the rest of her was hidden by the sheet. “Is there anyone by the name of Ellana Lavellan here?”

There was a long pause, and then: “... Cullen?”

“Ellana!” he shouted joyously. He ran up to the gate and let himself in. He neared the hanging laundry, but she quickly stopped him.

“Cullen, please! Don’t come any closer. You won’t like what you see.”

“What do you mean? Are you a servant Ellana? I don’t care about that, I just want to be with you. I… I think I’m in love with you. I know that seems silly after only being together for a few hours, but I think I do. I think this is real.” 

Tears welled up in Ellana’s eyes at his words.

“I feel the same way, Cullen, I do. But it won’t work out. Not after you see what I am. I tricked you and everyone else and I don’t deserve you.” She took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the sheets.

“You’re…?”

“An elf, yes. I’m sorry you had to find out like this. I met a woman, Morrigan, and she took away my ears and my vallaslin for the ball. It was a bit foolish, but I had to blend in if I wanted to go. You asked me when we first met if I was related to the Lavellan Clan. Well, I am. They kicked me out. One too many mages is bad for the clan. Right after my birth parents died, too. Bardon took me in and cared for me, but I knew I’d never truly fit into human society. I’m so sorry.”

Cullen was silent for a very long time. Finally, he startled her by laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“You. This. Everything. Ellana, it doesn’t matter to me that you’re an elf. Nothing says Ferelden’s commander can’t marry an elf. Sure, it’ll be a scandal, but who cares? I will take you away from this wretched place and these wretched people. I love the elven you just as much, no, I love you more than I loved you as a human. Here you are in front of me. You are real. You are real and you love me, too.”

“Cullen,” she sobbed, and they finally embraced. She cried tears of happiness into his chest while stroked her hair. When she was done crying, they pulled a bit apart to look at each other. Ellana bit her lip and smiled at her beloved, and Cullen couldn’t stop himself. He leaned down and captured her lips with his own.

Their kiss was deep, and a fire seemed to burn between them like the warm flickering of a fireplace at night. The lips seemed to know just how to move together as the kiss grew deeper and deeper. Finally, Cullen’s tongue sought entry past her plump lips, and the two of them melded together beautifully. When they finally emerged after some time, they were both panting heavily and grinning like fools.

“You need a good shave. You’re all scruffy,” Ellana murmured, stroking his stubble. He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her again. They had some lost time to catch up on after all.


	6. Happily Ever After

Two years later, Ellana still couldn’t believe her good fortune. Cullen had swept her off her feet, literally, and carried her away from her old life and her horrid “family.” She lived at the palace now as an apprentice to Court Enchanter Vivienne de Fer. Cullen had personally arranged this appointment, and while Vivienne claimed she was too busy and didn’t want or need another apprentice, she still accepted Ellana and taught her all the inner-workings of the court.

The court mages were delegated to the highest tower in the castle. To Ellana, it seemed to go up forever, floor after floor. She had her own bed, her own clothes, and, best of all, freedom from anyone or anything that would try to stop her from doing what she wanted. Not that she wanted to do anything else; everyone and everything she loved were right here in the palace. 

Vivienne was terribly cold at first. She didn’t approve of the fact that Ellana had had little formal training other than what Phillip Bardon had acquired for her, and she really didn’t like the fact that she was a Dalish elf. It wasn’t that Vivienne was racist, it’s just that she saw the Dalish as impractical magic-users, but when she learned that they had thrown Ellana out it just infuriated her even more. After that short, frustrating discussion, Vivienne warmed up considerably to Ellana. She called her “darling” and “dear” and would take time away from studying just to relax with her and visit the countryside. She thought the way peasants lived was “quaint,” and Ellana didn’t want to tell her that this was just because she’d never lived somewhere like that. After spending two years together, though, their bond was unbreakable.

The only other apprentice Vivienne had was Solona Amell. She had asked for the position during the ball two years ago, and Alistair had all but begged Vivienne to accept her. As it turned out, he hadn’t needed to because Vivienne had already known how skilled Enchantress Amell was and was going to accept her offer right away. She did love it when Alistair squirmed, though. Ellana and Solona were fast friends, and they spent all of their time studying together, huddled around a book or tome and giggling amongst themselves. Solona was like the sister Ellana had always wanted.

Solona and Alistair did end up together eventually, after Alistair finally said something to her. Well, not said so much as gave her a token of his affection: a single red rose. Their courting was short and they married a few months after that. Since mages could hold titles, Solona was effectively the princess of Ferelden now, but she maintained her duties as an apprentice to Vivienne. The new princess practically glowed after her marriage, and Ellana was happy for her, if not a bit jealous.

She and Cullen were definitely still together, there was no question about that, but it didn’t seem like they were going to wed anytime soon. When life and duty permitted, they shared stolen kisses between the shelves in the library or took walks in the garden. Sometimes, if he had an ample amount of time (as he was still the commander of the king’s armies), they would take a horse and ride down to the lake. It was beautiful; the waters were still and deep, rich shade of blue, and the lush green plants that grew along the edges of the water made her feel more at home.

The pair would sit on the dock of the lack and talk about anything and everything for as long as time permitted. Ellana would rant about some difficult spell that she had to learn at Vivienne’s behest, or Cullen would tell her of something ridiculous that Alistair had done. Sometimes, they sat in companionable silence. No words would pass between them, but their hands would be intertwined or her head would rest on his shoulder. She reveled in these moments, in moments like today.

The air was crisp and the wind whipped about as they rode down the dirt paths to the shore. It was not unpleasant, though, as the pair were wearing the thick garments required of Ferelden weather. Ellana was especially pleased because there was a distinct lack of clouds in the sky. She shut her eyes and leaned into Cullen’s chest as he directed the horse. Normally, he would press a kiss to the top of her head or gently stroke her thigh, but today he tensed up as soon as she pressed into him.

“Cullen, are you alright?” Ellana lazily opened her eyes and turned herself toward her beloved as much as she could. She couldn’t read his expression.

“I am fine. No need to worry,” he said a bit stiffly. He plastered a small smile to his face and glanced down at her, but she wasn’t fooled. She didn’t press the matter, though, just nodded and faced forward. Her head was spinning, though. He was acting so oddly. What if he was going to break things off with her? Was he tired of all the whispers and stares they always got? Surely that was it. She heard Cullen’s hard swallow behind her.

The rest of the ride was silent, and when they finally reached the lakeshore, he quickly helped her off and then dismounted himself. He busied himself with tying up the horse while she walked out onto the end of the pier, deep in thought. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he joined her. The air was thick with tension, and it was unbearably silent by the still water.

“Ellana…” Cullen finally started to say something, but couldn’t seem to find the words to continue. She glanced over at the man he loved, but he wasn’t looking at her. His had his eyes shut and his fists clenched. She sighed, deciding to end his suffering right there.

“It’s fine, Cullen.” He looked up at her as she spoke, and his brows furrowed. “Honestly, I’ll be fine. I know it’s been a bit messy for the past few months, what with all the gossip about the castle, so I understand why you have to do this. It’s not easy, so thank you for trying to make it less painful. We had great times together.”

Her voice had begun to break at the end. She couldn’t face him, not now. She stared across the reflective surface of the water wishing it would swallow her up. Tears started to leak out of the corners of her eyes, and his silence only made it worse.

“Ellana… You think I’m leaving you?” he finally asked. 

“Why else would you be acting so strangely?” she answered. Suddenly, he pulled her around to face him and took her small face in his hands. He used his thumbs to wipe away tears that slipped out and let out a small sigh.

“I would never leave you, my love. I’m sorry you got that impression. In truth, I was just nervous.”

“What is there to be nervous about? We come here often.” Ellana was extremely confused.

“To do this,” he replied. He promptly released her face and bent down onto his knee. Out of a pocket in his jacket, he pulled, not a ring, but a gold coin strung onto a leather cord.

“I want to marry you, Ellana. I know the coin is untraditional, but then everything about this has been untraditional. You are more than I could have hoped for. After the ball, I feared that eventually we would grow apart or realize we were not as in love as we thought. It sounds awful now, but these were my fears then. You, our relationship, everything has surpassed my greatest wishes. You are gentle and caring. You love with your whole heart, and you’re unafraid of hard work and struggling. You understand me, and you love me for all my faults and flaws. This coin belonged to my brother, but I’m giving it you now. It’s a very lucky coin; I was wearing it on the night I met you.”

Ellana didn’t know what to say. Words escaped her. She wanted to leap for joy, to run and tell everyone about it, but her brain wasn’t functioning properly at the moment. Cullen didn’t take the stunned look on her face very well, though.

“If you don’t want to - that is if you, um, ah. Maker, I’m sorry Ellana,” he stuttered. His cheeks were turning bright pink and raised his right arm to rub his neck as he moved to stand. This broke Ellana out of her reverie.

“Of course!” she blurted out, “Of course I’ll marry you. You’re the only man I’ve ever wanted and the only I ever will.”

His blush faded as he rose up to meet her. He wrapped his arms around her middle as she threw her’s around his neck; they pressed their lips together and he lifted her off the ground and swung her around. They were both laughing as he set her down. He rested his forehead on her’s, and they looked into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. Cullen moved his hands behind her head and latched the necklace into place.

“I am so glad to have met you, Cullen Rutherford,” Ellana murmured.

“I am, as well, Ellana Lavellan,” he replied, grinning. 

There was nowhere either of them would rather be.

**Author's Note:**

> This got so long, I'm so sorry. It was supposed to be like one chapter and it ended up being a lot bigger than that. Oh well, I hope you like it!


End file.
